


A Nudge in the Right Direction

by celeste9



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Background Slash, Drinking, Friendship, Gen, Male-Female Friendship, Matchmaking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-25
Updated: 2017-01-25
Packaged: 2018-09-19 21:25:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 573
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9460985
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/celeste9/pseuds/celeste9
Summary: “You need to get laid,” Natasha informs him.“Your advice always ends up being mildly inappropriate.” Clint spins his glass between his fingers.“I’ve seen you naked, Barton. I don’t think boundaries of appropriateness exist between us anymore.”





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [cordeliadelayne](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cordeliadelayne/gifts).



Natasha finds Clint at the range, up in the bird’s nest. It’s two in the morning. She’d ask what he’s doing but… It’s pretty obvious.

Clint comes here when he’s feeling jittery, when he’s feeling anxious. He comes to work off steam and he comes when he’s had a bad mission.

He also comes when Coulson’s away, but that maybe ties into the whole anxiety thing.

She waits until he comes down. He’s seen her, so it doesn’t take long. He knows he’s been caught out and that she will wait until he speaks to her, even if that means she’s in here all night. No sense delaying the inevitable, really.

He drops down lightly onto his feet, quiver over his shoulder and bow in hand. 

“Come on,” Natasha says. “I’ve got booze in my apartment.”

“Yeah, okay,” Clint says, and they walk out together.

-

A third of a bottle later, Clint’s still irritatingly mopey. It’s ridiculous. 

“You need to get laid,” Natasha informs him.

“Your advice always ends up being mildly inappropriate.” Clint spins his glass between his fingers.

“I’ve seen you naked, Barton. I don’t think boundaries of appropriateness exist between us anymore.”

Clint inclines his head. “I suppose it’s an improvement over you telling me to shoot people I was angry with.”

“Would’ve solved the problem.”

“As long as I didn’t mind going behind bars.”

Natasha shrugs. “If you didn’t take the proper precautions, that would’ve been your own fault.” She pours herself some more vodka. “My point still stands, though. You need to get laid.”

“You got someone in mind?”

Natasha doesn’t roll her eyes because she is above that, but she hopes her tone conveys the sentiment. “I can do it myself if you want, or we can go to a bar and pick someone up, but that’s not really the point, is it?”

Clint is scowling into his glass. “Dunno what you’re going on about.”

“Of course you don’t,” Natasha says and parts Clint from his alcohol. 

“Hey,” he protests. 

“Don’t make me lock you and Coulson in a closet until you sort yourselves out. You know I can and will keep you there until you’ve satisfied my requirements.”

Clint slowly blinks at her. “I think there are a lot of things wrong with what you just said.”

“File an incident report with S.H.I.E.L.D. Fury will come down on my side.”

“Just give me the vodka,” Clint says, and grabs for it.

Natasha lets him.

-

Coulson returns in three days. Clint manages to restrain himself from going over to his office and making a nuisance of himself for an entire hour. 

When he slinks off, apparently having exhausted the limits of his restraint and making vague excuses that fool absolutely no one, and certainly not her, Natasha says, “I will do it, you know.”

“You’re terrifying,” Clint mutters.

“I’m your best friend.”

“Which is the most terrifying thing of all.”

“Just put on your big boy pants, Barton, and lay one on Coulson. He’ll thank you, I’ll thank you, every damn person who has to interact with you will thank you.”

Clint flips her off as he walks away.

“Love you, too,” Natasha calls after him.

-

Clint is mysteriously late the next morning, as well as inexplicably cheerful despite the lack of coffee. 

Natasha smirks.

Clint says, “Don’t say a word,” but he’s grinning.

Natasha keeps quiet.

For the moment, anyway.

**_End_ **


End file.
